Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - "O" Idioms ppt

579

O


occur to (someone)

- to come into someone's mind (an idea or thought)
It occurred to me that I will not be able to meet my friend on Saturday because I have
to go to the airport to meet someone else.

ocean(s) of (something)

- a very large amount of something
There was oceans of food at the party.

odd man out

- an unusual person or thing
I always feel that I am the odd man out when I go with my coworkers to a restaurant.

(the) odd (something)

- an extra or spare something, one or two of something
We saw the odd interesting bird on our hike through the mountains.

an oddball

- a person who does not act like other people
The man is an oddball and nobody at his company likes to work with him.

odds and ends

- a variety of small items (sometimes remnants of something)
We made games for the children from odds and ends that we found around the house.


580

an odor of sanctity

- an atmosphere of excessive holiness or piety
There was an odor of sanctity surrounding the chambers of the judge at the
courthouse.


of Idioms
of age

- to be old enough to be allowed to do something (vote,drink etc.)
When my cousin came of age we had a big party for him to celebrate.

of age

- to be fully developed, to be mature
Rapid transportation came of age when the first jets were built.

of all the nerve

- How shocking!

Of all the nerve for my friend to ask me for more money when she never repaid me
what she had already borrowed.

of all things

- Imagine that!
"Of all things," the woman said when the post office worker told her that her package
was too large for delivery.

of benefit to (someone)

- to be good for someone, to be a benefit to someone
Another meeting to solve the problem would be of no benefit to myself so I decided
not to attend.


581

of course

- certainly, definitely, naturally
"Of course you can use my car if you want to."

of interest (to someone)

- to be interesting to someone
The man who works at the gas station is of interest to the police in their investigation
of the murder.

of late

- lately
Of late there has been almost no rain in our city.

of no avail

- with no effect, unsuccessful
My complaints to the company were of no avail and nothing was done.

of one's own accord/free will

- by one's own choice
The supervisor decided to leave her job of her own free will and was not fired.

of the old school

- to have attitudes from the past which are no longer popular
Our teacher's attitudes are of the old school and are not often found these days.








582

.

off Idioms


off and on

- occasionally
My friend has been seeing a woman off and on but I do not think that their
relationship is very serious.

off and running

- to be started up and already going
The candidates are off and running in the race to become mayor of the city.

off balance

- to be not prepared for something, to be unable to meet the unexpected
I was off balance when my boss asked me to deliver the speech instead of him.

off base

- to be inaccurate/wrong
He was off base with his estimate of next year`s budget.

off campus

- to be not on the grounds of a college or university

The used bookstore was off campus but it was very popular with the university
students.


583

off-center

- to be not exactly in the center or middle of something
The picture was off-center and did not look good on the wall.

the off chance

- a slight possibility
I went to the department store on the off chance that I would find a new jacket that I
liked.

off-color

- to be in bad taste, to be not polite, to be not the exact color
He likes to tell off-color jokes which most people do not like.
We painted the walls an off-color of white.

off duty

- to be not working
The police officer was off duty when he saw the bank robbery.

off guard

- to be not alert to the unexpected
It caught me off guard when my friend suddenly asked me to lend her some money.

off like a shot

- to go away quickly
The children were off like a shot when the school bell rang.







584

off limits

- to be forbidden
The factory was off limits to everybody except the workers who worked there.

off one`s back

- to be not bothering someone
I wish my father would get off my back and stop asking me when I am going to look
for a job.

off one`s chest

- to talk about a problem to someone so that it does not bother you anymore

I talked to my friend and I was able to get some of my problems off my chest.

off one`s hands

- to no longer be in one`s care or possession
I sold my old computer and got it off my hands.

off one`s high horse

- to be not acting proud and scornful, to be not acting like you are better than others
We got our boss off his high horse when he admitted that he had made many mistakes
with the new product launch.

off one`s rocker

- to be crazy
He must be off his rocker if he thinks that he can spend much money and not have
financial problems.






585

off season

- to be not in the busy time of the year, to be restricted (the hunting of an animal)
It was off season so we got a very cheap rate for the hotel room.

It was off season and we could not hunt ducks now.

off (someone or something) goes

- someone or something is leaving
"Off we go," I said as we opened the door and left the house.

off the air

- to be not broadcasting
The small radio station was not popular and is now off the air.

off the beam

- to be wrong/mistaken
What he said about the new policy was off the beam and should be ignored by
everybody.

off the beaten track

- to be not well known or often used, to be unusual
Last night we went to a small restaurant that was off the beaten track.

off the cuff

- to not prepare in advance what one will say
My father made a few remarks off the cuff when he was accepting the award from his
company.

586

off the hook

- to be out of trouble or free from an embarrassing situation
I think that I am off the hook now and will not have to worry about the problem
anymore.

off the mark

- to be not quite exactly right
The cost estimate for the new train station was off the mark.

off the record

- to be private, to be unofficial
He told the reporters off the record about the problem with the budget estimate.

off the subject

- to be not concerned with the subject under discussion
Our teacher is often off the subject during our class lectures.

off the top of one`s head

- to be from memory, to be spontaneous

He knew all of the team members off the top of his head.

off the track

- to be not concerned with the topic under discussion
My friend was off the track when he suggested that the problem was caused by the
other department.







587

off the wagon

- to begin to drink alcohol again after stopping for awhile
He is off the wagon again. I saw him yesterday and I am sure that he had been
drinking.

off the wall

- to be odd/silly/unusual
The recent remarks by our boss were very much off the wall.

off to a running start

- to have a good and fast beginning

We were off to a running start with our preparations for the autumn festival.

off to one side

- to be beside something, to be moved a little away from something
We put the old chair off to one side while we tried to decide what to do with it.


.



offbeat

- to be unconventional, to be different from the usual
The movie was very offbeat which is just the kind of movie that I like.

(as) old as the hills

- to be very old
The building next to the library is as old as the hills.


588

an old hand at (doing something)

- to be experienced at doing something
My father is an old hand at building kitchen furniture.

old hat

- to be old-fashioned, to be not new or different
My job has become old hat and I am becoming tired of it.

on Idioms
on a diet

- to be eating less food so that you can lose weight
I was on a diet for several months last year.

on a dime

- to do something in a very small space, to do something quickly
His new car has very powerful brakes and is able to stop on a dime.

on a first-name basis (with someone)

- to be good friends with someone
I am not on a first-name basis with my neighbor.

on a fool's errand

- to be involved in a useless journey or task
I was on a fool's errand as I looked for a store that sold international road maps.

589

on a shoestring

- to do something with very little money
He started the new company on a shoestring.

on a splurge

- to spend much money extravagantly
We went on a splurge last weekend and spent a lot of money.

on a waiting list

- to be on a list of people waiting for something
My father is on a waiting list to get an operation on his knee.

on account

- money paid or owed on a debt
We buy many things on account at the local department store.

on active duty

- to be in battle or ready to go into battle
The soldiers were on active duty when the hurricane reached the shore.

on again, off again

- to be unsettled/changeable/uncertain
The plans for the fireworks display were on again, off again because of the rainy and
windy weather.

on all fours

- to be on one's hands and knees
I was down on all fours as I looked for my grandmother's hearing aide.


590

on an even keel

- to be in a well-ordered situation/condition
We got the new department running on an even keel before we took some time off.

on and off

- intermittently, now and then
It has been raining on and off since early this morning.

on and on

- continually, at tedious length
The speech continued on and on until we finally left the meeting.

on any account

- for any purpose, for any reason

I am not going to talk to that woman on any account.

on approval

- to buy something with the right to return it
We carefuly looked at the chair which we had bought on approval.

on behalf of (someone)

- representing someone
The lawyer went to the meeting on behalf of his client.

on bended knee

- with great humility
The young man was on bended knee when he asked his girlfriend to marry him.


591

on board

- to be on a ship/plane or similar form of transportation
We got on board the airplane just before they closed the doors.

on call

- to be available to be called to go to work
His job is to repair computers and he is always on call.

on campus

- to be on the grounds of a college or university
We often go to a small coffee shop on campus after our classes.

on cloud nine

- to be very happy
She has been on cloud nine since she decided to get married last month.

on consignment

- being sold in a store by someone who still owns the goods
We went to the store to buy some baby furniture that was on consignment.

on credit

- to be purchased by using credit
I purchased the stereo on credit.

on deck

- to be on the deck of a boat or a ship
When we were on the ship we spent most of the time on deck.


592

on duty

- to be at work, to be currently doing one's work
There was nobody on duty when we arrived at the swimming pool.

to be on easy street

- to have enough money to live comfortably
He has been on easy street since he sold his house and invested the money.

on edge

- to be nervous or irritable
He has been on edge lately because of his exams.

on end

- seemingly endless
My uncle works for hours on end at his hobbies.

on faith

- without question or proof
I took it on faith that my friend would help me when I had extra work to do.

on fire

- to be burning, being burned with flames
The small house was on fire when the fire truck arrived.

on foot

- by walking
We decided to go downtown on foot.


593

on good terms with (someone)

- to be friendly with someone
We have always been on good terms with our neighbors.

on guard

- to be careful/wary
He has been on guard since he was robbed last month.

on hand

- to be available
I am sorry but I do not have any aspirin on hand at the moment.

on hand

- to be nearby, to be within reach
"Please keep your dictionary on hand in case you need to use it."

on hand

- to be present
The speaker will be on hand after the lecture if you have any questions that you want

to ask her.

on hold

- to be waiting, to be temporarily halted
The construction of the building is on hold while the city engineers finish their
inspection.







594

on hold

- to be left waiting on a telephone line
I phoned the bank but I was quickly put on hold.

on horseback

- to be on the back of a horse
We went up to the campground on horseback.

on ice

- to be away for safekeeping or later use, to be postponed
The city have put the plans for the new stadium on ice while they try to raise more

money.

on impulse

- something that is done without planning
I bought the DVD player on impulse.

on land

- on the land, on the soil, not at sea
The old sailor was never very comfortable when he was on land.

on line

- connected to a remote computer
The editor is able to do most of his work on line.

on location

- a movie being filmed in a location away from the movie studio
The movie was filmed on location in the mountains.


595

on medication

- taking medicine for a current medical problem
The woman has been on medication for many years.

on no account

- for no reason, absolutely not
On no account am I going to let my friend borrow my laptop computer.

on occasion

- occasionally
We go to my favorite restaurant on occasion.

on one's best behavior

- being as polite as possible
The little boy was on his best behavior when he went to the meeting with his teacher.

on one's chest

- worrisome thoughts or feelings that one might need to share with someone else
I had a long talk with my friend last night because I had many problems on my chest.

on one's coat-tails

- as a result of someone else doing something
The mayor was elected on the coat-tails of his brother who is a famous actor.

on one's feet

- recovering from sickness or trouble
I was sick for a couple of weeks but now I am on my feet again.

596

on one's feet

- standing up
Everybody in the audience was on their feet when the singer walked onto the stage.

on one's guard

- to be cautious/watchful
I was on my guard when I went into the meeting with my boss.

on/upon one`s head

- to be one`s own responsibility
He himself brought the anger on his head and should not try and blame someone else.

on one`s high horse

- to be acting as if one is better than others, to be very proud and scornful
He is always on his high horse and never thinks about other people.

on one's honor

- with honesty and sincerity
I am on my honor when I look after the money of our club.

on one's mind

- currently being thought about
The incident at school was on my mind all week.

on one's own

- by oneself
The young girl has been on her own since she finished high school.


597

on one's own time

- not while one is at work
The company told the employees that they must make their personal phone calls on
their own time.

on one's person

- carried with one
The criminal had a knife on his person when he was arrested.

on one`s shoulders

- one`s responsibility
"Please don`t try to put the failure of your business on my shoulders."

on one`s toes

- to be alert

The teacher asks the students many questions to keep them on their toes.

on order

- ordered with the delivery expected at some future date
The store has several computer printers on order.

on par with (someone or something)

- to be equal to someone or something
The new French restaurant is on par with the best restaurants in Paris.

on pins and needles

- to be excited/nervous
Her daughter has been on pins and needles all day waiting for the contest to begin.


598

on probation

- to be serving a period of probation, to be serving a trial period
The new employee was on probation for several months before he became a regular
member of the staff.

on purpose

- intentionally
I think that the woman spilled her drink on purpose.

on sale

- to be offered for sale at a special low price
The small television set was on sale so we decided to buy it.

on schedule

- to be at the expected or desired time
The train arrived on schedule and we found our friend easily.

on second thought

- after having reconsidered something
On second thought I do not think that I will go to a movie tomorrow.

on shaky ground

- to be unstable, to be not secure
His position at the company has been on shaky ground for a long time.

on (someone's) account

- because of someone
We went to the children's festival on our daughter's account.


599

on (someone`s) back/case

- making demands or criticizing someone, being an annoyance or bother to someone
My boss has been on my back all week trying to get me to finish my monthly report.

on (someone's) behalf

- acting as someone's agent, acting for the benefit of someone
I was able to sign for the registered letter on my wife's behalf.

on (someone's) doorstep

- in someone's care, as someone's responsibility
The responsibility for feeding the extra staff suddenly arrived on my doorstep.

on (someone's) head

- on someone's own self (often used with blame)
The responsibility for fixing the computer was again on my head.

on (someone or something's) last legs

- to be almost worn out or finished
My computer is on its last legs and soon I will have to buy another one.

on (someone's) say-so

- with someone's permission or authority
I was able to ask for a new stove on the apartment manager's say-so.

on (someone's) shoulders

- to be someone's responsibility
The responsibility for organizing the office is always on my shoulders.


600

on speaking terms with (someone)

- on friendly terms with someone
My mother is not on speaking terms with her older sister.

on standby

- to be waiting for a seat/ticket to become available on a train/plane/bus
We decided to fly to visit my parents on standby.

on target

- to be on schedule, to be exactly as predicted
Our company is on target to have its best year of sales ever.

on the air

- being broadcast on radio or TV
That television program has been on the air for three years now.

on the alert (for someone or something)

- to be watchful and attentive for someone or something

The police are on the alert for the man who robbed the small store.

on the average

- generally, usually
On the average I get about eight hours of sleep every night.

on the ball

- to be intelligent, to be able to do things well
He is on the ball and can usually get his work done quickly.


601

on the bandwagon

- to do or join something because many others are doing it
Everybody in our company is on the bandwagon to eliminate smoking in the
workplace.

on the beam

- to be doing well, to be just right or correct
What the politician said about the tax problem was right on the beam.

on the bench

- to be sitting/waiting for a chance to play in a sports game
The new player was forced to sit on the bench for most of his first season.

on the bench

- to be directing a session of court (usually a judge)
The new judge was on the bench for three days last week.

on the blink

- to be not working
My stereo has been on the blink for many months.

on the block

- to be for sale
Our house has been on the block for over a month now.

on the borderline

- to be undecided, to be in an uncertain position between two things
My test scores are on the borderline between passing or failing the course.


602

on the button

- to be exactly on time
I arrived for the meeting right on the button.

on the contrary

- as the opposite
I thought that the speech would be boring but on the contrary it was quite interesting.

on the defensive

- to be trying to defend oneself
I always feel that I am on the defensive when I talk to my friend about money.

on the dole

- to be receiving welfare
This area is very poor and there are many people on the dole who live here.

on the dot

- to be right on time
He always arrives for his meetings on the dot.

on the double

- very fast
My father asked me to bring him the newspaper on the double.

on the edge of one`s seat

- to be nervously and excitedly waiting for something
I have been on the edge of my seat all day while I wait for the contest to begin.

603

on the eve of (something)

- just before or on the evening before something
The sports fans were very excited on the eve of the big game.

on the face of it

- from the way something looks, superficially
On the face of it, it looked like the speeding car had caused the accident.

on the fence (about something)

- to be undecided
The politician is on the fence about the tax issue.

on the fritz

- to be not operating properly
My television set is on the fritz and I may have to buy a new one.

on the go

- to be busy doing many things
I have been on the go since early morning trying to get ready for the meeting.

on the heels of (something)

- soon after something

On the heels of the big earthquake there were two weeks of heavy rain.

on the horizon

- soon to happen
The government promised the citizens that there was going to be a tax decrease on the
horizon.